According to the Economic Survey 2020-21, the participation of women in the gross workforce is 26 percent, while various international organizations say that if the participation of women in the workforce becomes as much as that of men, then our economy will grow by 27 percent from the recent situation. If we look at the practical economics beyond the statistics, then as soon as the female member of a family works, the economic condition of that family improves immediately.
There are historical reasons for such a low share of women in the workforce. Like our society has been patriarchal where women are assigned domestic work from the very beginning. First of all, the situation of struggle for women starts from the time she is about to knock in the world. Girls are killed in the embryo itself. Even if a girl is born in this world, she is not given the same education as men.
Not only this, they are given marriage at an early age. Child marriage is such a big reality of this society that despite all the legal measures, it has not been curbed. As women become educated, they are not sent to work outside. The family believes that household chores are necessary for women.
Even if a woman works in some way, she has to leave her job when she becomes pregnant or gives birth to a child because in us the responsibility of guardianship is left to women. Apart from this, the dual challenge for women is that they have to do household chores as well as outside. This also affects the official productivity of women.
However, now with all the government and social efforts, the condition of women has improved. Schemes like ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’ have not only brought awareness about giving birth to a girl child, but families have also come forward to educate them further. This is the reason that now not only female literacy is improving but they are also getting proper opportunities for work.
Now women are going to the police force and defense force in addition to pink collar jobs like teacher, nurse, bank and office work. For this, the government policies of various states are responsible, such as 33 percent reservation has been given to women in the police force in Bihar, then they get the same reservation in the recruitments of the State Public Service Commission.
Apart from all this, women have also become politically empowered, such as 33 percent reservation has been given to women in Panchayats. However, the benefit of 33 percent reservation is yet to be given to women in Parliament and Vidhan Sabha. Despite all this, there will be a real improvement in the condition of women when the common Indian not only accepts the natural rights of women with an open mind but also fights with women for their rights.
